Hyaluronic Acid Injections Provide Much Needed Relief to Osteoarthritis Sufferers

Do you suffer from osteoarthritis of the knee? Are you unsure of what osteoarthritis of the knee is? Osteoarthritis is an ailment that affects thousands of people, severely limiting their ability to participate in the sports they love, turning everyday tasks a painful ordeal. If you have osteoarthritis, you know all about how painful it is, and how difficult it is to find treatments that eliminate the pain it causes.  

Surgery, therapy and daily oral medications may seem like your only route to combating osteoarthritis – but what if these options don’t appeal to you? There is another, quite amazing alternative: Hyaluronic acid injections. Hyaluronic acid injections are becoming a popular form of effective relief to osteoarthritis sufferers.

What are hyaluronic acid injections and what are the benefits of them?

Hyaluronic acid is a naturally occurring substance found in the human body and central to the process of cell growth and renewal. It is a fluid found in your joints which helps to lubricate them, allowing them to move more smoothly.

Osteoarthritis sufferers find hyaluronic acid injections useful because their hyaluronic acid has become thinner, and there isn’t enough present to properly lubricate and protect joints.  By injecting hyaluronic acid right into the knee joint, the supplemental hyaluronic acid works to thicken the existing fluid, making movement easier and delivering much needed relief to osteoarthritis sufferers.

As an alternative to surgery, hyaluronic acid injections are a liberating option. Relatively pain free, hyaluronic acid injections provide fast pain relief to osteoarthritis sufferers without a lengthy recovery period.  Who wants to face surgery, book valuable weeks off work (if they’re even available) and miss taking part in regular activities when one injection treatment can ease the pain and stiffness caused by osteoarthritis almost immediately?

Hyaluronic acid injections are also often more effective in terms of pain relief compared to oral medicines, decreasing the need for inconvenient daily doses which also cause a host of side effects. Hyaluronic acid injections can also provide pain relief for longer periods of time – keeping pain at bay for 6 months to a year.

What’s even better news is that hyaluronic acid injections are not only useful for osteoarthritis of the knee, but can also relieve pain caused by several other joint related ailments, including cartilage damage, fractures, and fibromyalgia.  In addition, they assist with ligament and wound healing. While surgery is an option for many of these illnesses, a valuable alternative to consider is the use of hyaluronic acid injections.

Hyaluronic acid injections are also very beneficial because they can be combined with other non-surgical treatments like therapy. Treatment from a sports injury or physiotherapy clinic while receiving hyaluronic acid injections, will not only rid you of joint pain and stiffness, but can rebuild muscle and  protect you from future injuries.

Don’t let joint pain and stiffness hold you back from enjoying the things you love. To find out more about hyaluronic acid injection treatments, or how they can offer relief to osteoarthritis sufferers, contact Athletic Edge Sports Medicine by calling 416 800 0800, or visit www.aesm.ca  

What is Osteopathy?

Pain that stems from a sports related injury can be close to unbearable, and knowing how to treat it feels nothing less than a daunting battle.  One highly beneficial treatment option is osteopathy, an important type of manual pain management that brings relief to the sufferer. So exactly what is osteopathy and how does it work to relieve pain?  

What is osteopathy?

Osteopathy is a holistic, non-invasive, medical technique that focuses on a total body approach to healing.  Its gentle massaging techniques not only treat and strengthen the site of the body that is experiencing pain, but reach the entire body. An osteopath will use a variety of massaging techniques, including the stretching of the soft tissue, deep tactile pressure, and the manipulation of joints.  These applications promote enhanced circulatory, lymphatic and nervous systems.

What is osteopathy beneficial for?

Osteopathy is beneficial in the following ways:

1.       Non-surgical

2.       Whole body healing

3.       Stress relief

Since osteopathy is a non-surgical procedure, it offers pain management without the worry of taking time off work or avoiding regular activities you enjoy. Repeat osteopathy sessions allow for pain relief without the need for lengthy recovery times.

Osteopathy provides whole-body healing. This is because the philosophy behind osteopathy is that if one part of the body is suffering, the rest of the body works harder to compensate for it. Like a weak link in a chain, a weakness in one part of the body means an overall weakness of the entire body.  When one body part suffers and the other parts work harder to compensate, the end result can be inflammation, stiffness, tension, and most significantly, pain. Providing care to the whole body works to balance the whole body, eliminating the need for compensation by dealing with the problematic root issues.

In addition to providing whole-body healing, what is osteopathy useful for?

Stress relief. Although osteopathy is not preventative, it is an invaluable stress reliever that promotes better mental and physical health.

So what is osteopathy and what are the benefits of osteopathic therapy?

Ridding yourself of the chronic pain caused by a sports related injury is important, and choosing osteopathy is choosing a non-surgical, worry-free and effective method of whole-body pain relief.

For more answers to the ‘what is osteopathy’ question, and for consultation about how it is beneficial to you, contact Athletic Edge Sports Medicine by calling 416 800 0800, or visit www.aesm.ca  

Chiropractic Treatment Used to Treat Chronic Pain

If you have suffered an injury to your back or neck, you’re well aware how greatly your ability to participate in daily activities is reduced. Suffering from chronic pain can severely and negatively impact your way of life, turning the simplest tasks into dramatic, if not daunting ordeals.  If you have found yourself in this situation, it’s important to remember that there are options available for dealing with back and neck related chronic pain.   One of the most common and most popular is chiropractic treatment. 

Chiropractic treatment involves the manipulation of the neuromusculoskeletal system – focusing mainly on the spine, soft tissues, and other joints – by a medically trained professional. A doctor of chiropractic therapy, or chiropractor, uses a form of hands-on therapy called “adjustment” to promote the body’s ability to heal itself without surgery or medication. This is achieved through the proper alignment of the body’s musculoskeletal structure, more specifically the spine.

Many chiropractors will use various other methods as part of their chiropractic therapy procedure.  These can include the Graston Technique, a therapy that uses tools to break down scar tissue and promote healing, or the Active Release Technique, which uses different massage methods to relieve tension and loosen muscles.

What are the benefits of chiropractic therapy?

There are several, and each is extremely valuable. Firstly, many doctors recommend chiropractic therapy as an alternative to surgery to treat back pain of two categories; mild acute-lasting less that 3 months; or chronic – lasting longer than 3 months.  The latter is especially so if back surgery is the ultimate last resort (also bear in mind: the classification of back pain as acute or chronic is based on the length of time you have experienced pain, not the severity of the pain itself). Instead of dealing with the symptom (the pain), chiropractic therapy treats the cause and allows you to get back to enjoying the things you love, without having to go through the extensive recovery period that can accompany back surgery.

Chiropractic therapy can also be used to relieve tension and migraine headaches. If you suffer from these, you know how dreadfully debilitating they can be.  They can ruin both special occasions and every day routines without warning, robbing you of fulfilling the plans you make.  Some people are so plagued by migraines that they are leery of making any plans at all for fear a migraine will keep them from their commitments.  Chiropractic therapy commonly helps relieve migraines and can greatly increase your ability to enjoy each day without having to worry about the pain and inconvenience of a monster-headache!

In addition to relieving back pain, chiropractic therapy is also used to restore your body’s ability to function fully, normally and without injury.

Suffering through acute or chronic back pain can be nothing less than torture, but being aware of existing solutions can be liberating. An aligned spine and flexible muscles are crucial to the prevention of serious injuries which can grind your pursuit of the sports you love to an abrupt halt.  Chiropractic therapy is an important and viable option to consider whether you’re dealing with chronic pain, or if you just want to protect your body for pain and injury-free longevity.

To find out more about chiropractic therapy, or to make an appointment with a trained chiropractor, contact Athletic Edge Sports Medicine by calling 416 800 0800, or visit www.aesm.ca

It Sounds Like it Feels Good, But Exactly What is Massage Therapy?

These days there are so many different treatments that claim to help you deal with pain that it’s becoming increasingly more difficult to determine which methods are most likely to deliver the results you want. One of the most popular, and most effective treatments for relieving pain, has a centuries-old proven track record: massage therapy. 

What is massage therapy?

Massage therapy is a form of massage that uses a variation of massaging techniques, including kneading, compression, and vibration of the soft tissue of the body. Massage therapy is typically done using the hands, but may also involve the elbows and forearms or even the feet.  Massage therapists work to assess any tissue damage you have sustained as the result of an injury while decreasing the pain that accompanies it. What’s more is that inflamed muscles can inhibit your ability to perform at your highest level. Massage therapy works to relieve inflammation while alleviating chronic pain. 

What is massage therapy beneficial for?

Even the two words in themselves sound relieving….massage therapy…Beyond how wonderful it can feel, there are many benefits, both mental and physical, to massage therapy.

Massage therapy’s physical benefits include:

-          The loosening of tight muscles

-          Relief for tired, aching muscles

-          Increased flexibility and motion range

-          Chronic pain that is diminished

-          Lowered heart rate and lowered blood pressure

-          A stronger immune system 

Massage therapy’s mental benefits include: 

-          A calmer nervous system

-          Stress relief

-          Improved concentration

-          Better sleep

-          Mental relaxation 

When contemplating the definition of ‘massage therapy,’ it’s important to consider what it offers and achieves.  While the short term effects of massage therapy relieve aching and tired muscles and chronic pain, the long term benefit is returning you to peak physical health to take part in the activities that bring you joy. 

Another important component to massage therapy is its role in the prevention of future injuries. Because massage therapy helps loosen muscles, lowers heart rate and reduces blood pressure, it can help you remain flexible. Flexibility of muscles helps decrease the chances of experiencing an injury when your body tense, wound up like a top, ready to snap – as bodies can – in response to the most innocuous little movement. Keeping your body healthy and avoiding injury is an important reason to consider regular, ongoing massage therapy. 

Often, individuals who have suffered a sports related injury, or any type of soft tissue injury, are confused about how to deal with the associated pain.  Alternative remedies such as massage therapy can conquer pain without evasive treatments such as surgery, meaning a greatly reduced (or non-existent) recovery period, and a greater chance of preventing injury in the future. 

So, in summary, massage therapy and how it can help you is multi-faceted.  As a form of massage, while it treats recurring pain from a sports related injury, it also helps you deal with the stress that often accompanies injury; address the issues preventing you from participating in your regular activities; and enjoy maintaining a healthy, active, pain-free lifestyle. 

For further details on what massage therapy is and the benefits it offers, contact Athletic Edge Sports Medicine by calling 416 800 0800, or visit www.aesm.ca